An aviation engineering company is planning to invest €1.5 million to double the size of its hangar to meet higher demands for services.

Falcon Aviation Engineering Ltd, set up 17 years ago, is responding to strong demand from small aircraft owners for its services, which include aircraft maintenance and overhauls, periodic inspections, anti-corrosion treatment and interior refurbishment.

Managing director Ray Zarb told Transport Minister Austin Gatt during a visit the heavy increase in demand came about as a result of the government boosting its efforts to entice aircraft owners to register their aircraft in Malta, building on the success of the maritime register.

Since the law was approved in October, the country now has 80 aircraft on its register.

Capt. Zarb said the new 650- square-metre hangar, to be built next to the one the company already occupies on airport grounds, would double its work area to 1,300 square metres. The expansion would also bring about an increase in the number of technicians and engineers it employed.

Congratulating the company, Dr Gatt said high value-added services like the ones provided by Falcon Aviation was what Malta needed. The problem, however, was that the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology was not producing enough aircraft engineers and technicians to cope with the demand in the sector, especially with the requests of bigger companies like Lufthansa Technik and SRT, he said.